Job statistics don’t tell the whole story for local economy

On Nov. 21, Gov. Pat McCrory’s office released a statement saying that all of the jobs North Carolina lost during the Great Recession — some 62,000 positions — had been gained back. Not long after, local unemployment numbers started coming in, showing that Asheville had the lowest unemployment numbers among the North Carolina metro areas at […]

Economic developmen­t: Putting the pieces together

Ever wondered who’s in charge of economic development in Asheville and Buncombe County? It’s a good question, but the answer is not so simple. In fact, there are literally dozens of players—some big, some small—that help shape the area’s economy. They include governmental agencies such as the city’s Office of Economic Development, quasi-governmental agencies such […]